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How Can DIY Style Be Dangerous in Car Repairs

Repairing your cars can often turn out very expensive. This is the reason why many car owners try to avoid seeking professional help and adopt the DIY course, which is not bad altogether but has some big negatives. People open youtube search for terms like “how to change brake pads” and they begin to think that they can do it all. We believe that humans can do everything but there are certain things that require specialists – people with top skills and experience to back it up.

Car repair is one such thing as a bad fix can put you and people around you at great risk. Still, need convincing? Please check out our pick of 3 reasons why DIY is not for car repairs…

1- Some Repairs Are Dangerous

There are some petty fixes like wiper change, headlight bulb change, checking the fluid level in the radiator, etc, which car owners can try to handle themselves. However, most serious car repairs require you to jack the car up or handle heavy machinery and electrical equipment. All these works are specialized in nature and require the services of a skilled individual or a team. If you are not experienced enough (which we believe you are not if you’re reading this) you will be flirting with danger trying to repair your car yourself.

If you put safety above all, this is the time to consult a professional, certified mechanic shop, which of course would be a little expensive but puts you away from harm’s way. Also, make sure that the mechanic is ASE certified. You can either look for a blue ASE symbol on their promotional material or simply ask for the certificate.

2- You Don’t Know What You Are Doing (Mostly)

Do you know why mechanics are called mechanics and you are not? It’s because they either went to special, technical schools or trained for years under a professional mechanic (or both). While there is everything available on the Internet and you can easily read blogs and watch some tutorials on youtube to know a great deal about auto mechanics but there is no substitute of years of relevant, practical experience. It is common for most DIY-ers to go through the first part of the repair successfully and then eventually getting stuck on the next part. A typical example includes opening a part and then having no clue how to put it back.

If you are not a mechanic, the best thing you can do is to seek professional help when it comes to auto repair.

3- You Could Make a Bad Problem Go Worse

The problem with fixing your car problems yourself is that you are under an impression that you know it all. However, what you will end up doing is making a bad problem go worse. This happens due to lack of knowledge, hands-on experience and skills.

Bottom Line:

The main idea of this post is not to discourage you from doing things yourself. In fact, there are maintenance checks that should be done the DIY style. You should always keep an eye on defects and abnormalities during a ride and consult a professional mechanic as and when you notice a problem

Hello, my name is Matthew Turner and I’m a licensed mobile mechanic in the State of Missouri. In my 20+ years turning a wrench on a car, I’ve had alot of jobs and seen alot of changes in the industry and absolutely love my life as a mobile mechanic, and based on repeat business, I’m guessing my clients do too.